Trace-holder



(No Model.)

T. J. HATFIELD.

TRACE HOLDER.

No. 586,767. Patented July 20, 1897.

mmmummlllllllII!IHIIIllllllllllllllilliiiii" Y mn- WITNESSES:

.d ATTORNEYS uukms vans co. Moira-mum wAsmNamN a c Nrrnn Srnrns THOMASJ. HATFIELD,

OF DUBLIN, INDIANA.

TRACE-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,767, dated July 20,1897. Application filed July 15, 1896. Serial. No. 599,289. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. HATFIELD, residing at Dublin, in thecounty of IVayne and State of Indiana, have invented an ImprovedTrace-Holder, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved device for holding or fastening a trace ortug upon the end of a whifiletree or singletree. The most common methodof accomplishing this purpose is the employment of a leather strapfastened to the end of the whillletree and adapted to be passed througha hole in the end of said tree upon the outer side trace or tug, saidtrace or tug having been placed upon the end of tree and pushed beyondthe hole. This is the oldest and simplest method, but it is open to manyobjections, such as the leather rotting and becoming stiff, and,furthermore, it is liable to be pulled out and drop the trace. To avoidthis, numerous devices have been contrived, most of which have beenapplied to the end of the whillietree, but all of these appliances, sofar as I am aware, require a peculiar construction of whillietree end,or they require some alteration in the trace or tug. Now my invention isdesigned to avoid all these objections and provide a cheap, Sill]: ple,and eflicient form of holder or fastener and one which can be applied toany of the whittletrees and traces now in common use.

Another object is to provide a holder or fastener which will provide apositive connection between the trace and whililetree which can bequickly and easily effected, but cannot be disconnected by jarring orjerking.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fastener which will notbe injured by water, snow, or ice.

IVith these various objects in view my invention consists, essentially,of a plate adapted to be attached to a trace, said plate carrying asleeve or tube in which is arranged a locking-pin, said pin beingspring-actuated and provided wit-h a head at the upper end to limit itsdownward movement.

The invention consists also of a plate having means for ready attachmentto the trace or tug; and the invention consists also in a plate carryingthe sleeve and pin before referred to, and also a hook for holding saidtrace up when not connected to a whiffietree.

The invention consists also in certain details of construction andnovelties in combination, which will be fully set forth in thedescription, and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specifieation, Figure l is a viewshowing the invention in use. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section, thewhitl'letree being shown in top plan. Fig. 3 is a vertical section. Fig.4 is a detail view of the holder or fastener. Fig. 5 is a detail viewshowing the application of the hook, and Fig. 6 shows the locking-pinand spring for actuating the same.

In the drawings I have shown a whiltletree A, and trace B, in order toclearly explain the application of my invention, and it will be noticedthat these parts are the same as those now in general use, thewhiliietree having an opening a, and the trace a series of slots b b.

In constructing a holder in accordance with my invention I employ aplate C, which has a central opening 0, adapted to be arranged oppositeone of the slots band permit the passage of the end of the whiflietree.The plate 0 has an arm D extending from each corner, and projecting fromsaid arms are right-angled fingers E, said fingers ext-ending inwardly adistance equal to the thickness of the trace and then toward each other,as shown, but they do not meet, sufficient space being left between theends of said fingers to permit the insertion and withdrawal of thetrace. The manner of connecting the plate and trace will therefore beapparent. The plate also carries a sleeve ortube F upon the forwardupper edge, said sleeve being arranged about midway the plate andopening and projects some distance above said plate. The sleeve is openat the lower end and perforated at the top, and working in said sleevethrough such perforation fis a locking-pin G, having a head G, andsurrounding said pin within the sleeve or tube is a spiral spring H,said spring being held in place between the top of sleeve or tube and across-pin I, passing through the locking-pin, so that when the pin islifted up by the head said spring will be compressed and will project itdown the moment the pin is released.

Now in operation the holder is placed upon a trace, and to connect thetrace with the Ice whiflletree the pin is raised, the end of tree passedthrough trace and plate, and the pin released, so that it passes throughthe hole a in the end of Whiffletree.

It will thus be seen that it is impossible for the parts to beaccidentally disconnected, and it will also be noted that the operativeparts are thoroughly protected against dirt, rain, ice, and snow.

It will of course be understood that the holder can be moved along thetrace opposite any particular slot 1).

The plate 0 also carries a downwardlyhanging hook K upon its forwardface, the purpose of which is to hang the trace and holder upon the hamewhen said trace is not attached to whiftletree, the hook being in.-serted in the bathe-coupling, as most clearly shown in Fig. 5.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The herein-described trace-holder c011- sisting of a plate having anopening for the passage of the whiflletree and provided at each end withattached arms for embracing the trace, and at the central portionthereof with a tube or sleeve projecting above its upper edge, and abolt or pin carrying a coiled spring in said tube or sleeve, for thepurpose set forth.

2. As a new article of manufacture, the herein-described trace-holderconsisting of a plate having a central opening, the arms at the cornersthereof being formed with the right-angled fingers, the sleeve or tube,the pin having a head and cross-bar, the coiled spring secured thereon,and the support-hook, all arranged and operating substantially as setforth.

THOMAS J. HATFIELD. lVitnesses:

JOHN D. RATHFON, O. F. HERBsT.

